Beckett and Espo go rogue!
by Queen-KateoftheCastle
Summary: A one-shot about how a team building activity goes astray when Beckett and Espo get themselves in some trouble! This is for my best friends birthday, and its dedicated to her...so please read it!


**Hey guys. I am sorry I still haven't published the next chapter of "a Summer of change", but I have been working hard on this one-shot for my best-friends birthday! Her birthday is today, and she is also a massive fan of Castle, and writes fan fic like me! You should really check her work out. Her username is "Top-of-the-Castle", she has some great fan fics! Anyway happy birthday skye, I hope you like it! Xxxx  
P.s. Some reviews would be fabulous if you have time :)**

**DISCLAIMER: Sadly I can not claim that I have any parts of ownership to Castle whatsoever:(**

* * *

It was 8:10 am on Tuesday, when Castle and Beckett walked into the precinct. Espo, Ryan and gates were already there, so they both quickly took a seat, and got ready to work, hoping Gates hadn't seen them come in 10 minutes late.

"Boys, where are we on the financials of our latest vic?" Beckett questioned Ryan and Espo.

"Well, we got them in after you had left last night, and the money trail led us straight back to the murderer. He didn't cover his tracks very well, which made it easy for us, but means 25 to life for him" Ryan told Beckett very matter-of-factly.

"So you got a confession from him?" Beckett asked

"Yup, the bastard admitted straight away to his crimes, he was a young one, who hadn't learnt the fine art of covering his tracks yet" Espo said.

Castle chuckled in a satisfied manor "well, we don't have any new cases yet, so I guess that means we have an easy day ahead of us...maybe we can even knock off early and get a drink at the old haunt!"

Castle leant back in his chair, and put his feet up on Beckett's desk. Beckett was about to tell him, to take his shoes off the table, when Gates came up behind Castle.

"Are you having a relaxing time there Mr. castle?" She enquired.

Castle pulled his feet down and jumped up, almost saluting her in his hurry, Beckett giggled, and Espo and Ryan quietly shut the Baseball news page they had open on a computer.

"Sir! How are you, you look fantastic" Castle turned the charisma onto high blast, but Gates just glared him down. Castle thought that Gates almost gave a better evil-eye look that Beckett did.

"As all of you know, we don't have any cases right now, and while we have the time, I want to use the opportunity to involve our team in a little group bonding activity. A friend of mine, who is the captain at the 2nd precinct told me, that after she signed her homicide team up for some group bonding activities, they solved their homicides much quicker...It's all about getting to know your co-workers" Gates told the group of four, who were sitting before her.

"Um, I think I have a book-launch that day" castle said, while in his mind, willing that Gates would let him out of whatever horrible team-building activity she had thought up.

"Mr Castle, you don't even know what it is, or when it is yet. And unless you want to stop shadowing Detective Beckett here, you will be there for team-building " Gates said dryly, "I have signed you up for a full day workshop of ballroom dancing, tomorrow!" Gates added very excitedly.

"I don't mean to be rude or disrespectful sir, because its sounds like a great idea and all, but in case you hadn't noticed, we are all already friends, we hang out all the time" Ryan said to Gates

"Detective Ryan, are you running his precinct?" Gates questioned impertinently.

"No, but" Ryan tried to add  
"No buts, from any of you, I will see you all at 9am tomorrow at the dance studio on the corner of West 83rd and Columbus avenue, Lanie and Perlmutter will be there too" Gates told them all and started to walk away.

Ryan and Espo groaned at the news that Perlmutter would be there, but Beckett had a thought.

"Captain?" Beckett called out, and Gates halted "Since this is team building, you will be there too right?" Beckett smiled, knowing that she had just hit the nail on the head. Gates had indeed not been planning on attending the dance class, but since Beckett had so blatantly called her out, she had to now.

Gates turned around slowly,"Detective Beckett, of course I will be there", and them she walked off.

Ryan and Esposito turned to Beckett and Castle, and laughed, but Beckett was stony faced.

"I hate dancing! I'm terrible at it!" Beckett exclaimed to her friends.

"Hey, You danced really well at Ryan's wedding, remember when you were really drunk, remember Beckett? You- Ow!" Castle started to say, but yelped in pain when Beckett kicked him under the table, just stopping him from reminding the boys of the highly embarrassing night to the boys, who still hadn't forgotten the event.

"I don't know, should be good, learn to dance and impress Lanie" Espo mused to Ryan, and Ryan nodded.

"Look, don't stress out about it, just think of it as practice for our first dance at the wedding" Castle crooned at Beckett.

She smiled, and leaned in, and the two embraced in a long kiss, knowing that Gates was inside her office. Suddenly Ryan and Espo started making coughing noises, and muttering things under their breath about how gross the two of them were. Castle and Beckett broke apart, and Beckett glared at the two of them, who glowered back at her.

"Castle, we aren't even married yet, and I feel like, I have two kids to look after already!" Beckett told Castle.

He just chuckled, and the boys got back to browsing the internet.

* * *

It was 8:50 when Castle and Beckett arrived at the dance studio the next day. When they walked inside, Gates, Lanie, Perlmutter and Ryan were already at the studio, now they were just waiting on Espo and the teacher.

After a minute or two Espo arrived and then the ballroom dance teacher did, so they started class. Beckett, who was ok at ordinary dancing, absolutely hated any types of structured dancing with a partner. She had done it before, like at the charity jewellery auction she attended with Castle, back when they were getting to know each other, but she had felt so awkward and out of place, she hadn't enjoyed the experience at all.

The teacher introduced her self as Madame Anna, "More like Madman Anna" Castle had muttered to Espo, and they both laughed. It was true, Madame Anna was wearing a blue, yellow and pink floral dress, as well as feathers in her hair, and she moved and spoke, either to the extremity of loud and fast, or barely audible and at snails pace.

Madame Anna smiled at the group of seven, and spoke to them all in a thick Eastern European accent. "By the end of the day, you will all be fantastic ballroom dancers, and you will all have great trust in each other" Beckett sniggered, knowing her abilities, she doubted this mad woman could help her improve skills at all.

"Alright, lets get started" Madame Anna said, and she led them running around the room to warm up.

After 20 minutes they had all run laps of the room, and galloped and skipped their way to warming up. Everyone but Lanie was red in the face and gasping for air, Lanie however, who took dancing and Zumba instead of going to the gym like everyone else, was calm and composed with barley any hairs out of place.

Once they were all warm, Madame Anna, instructed them to all get a drink of water and then she started pulling chairs out and placing them randomly all over the room. Once they had all been rehydrated she smiled at them.

"Alright, now we will partner up" she said. Castle and Beckett jumped together, as did Lanie and Espo, Gates and Perlmutter looked scornfully onwards and Ryan stood like a loner to the side.

"Oh dear" Madame Anna said laughing "No, this will not do, I will pair you up myself!". She smiled and everyone groaned like they were back in first grade.

"You, and you!" She pointed at Castle and Lanie "from what I have seen, both of you are experienced at ballroom dance, you will be paired up".

Castle walked over and stood next to Lanie. Madame Anna continued to match up partners by ability. Eventually the pairs came to, Lanie and Castle, Gates and Ryan, and Espo and Beckett. Madame Anna was quite taken with Perlmutter and announced that herself and Perlmutter would partner up. After this was done, Madame Anna went to a box beside the cd player and started to rummage, she suddenly stood up from he box, waving some coloured scarves in her hand.

"Aha! Just what I am looking for. Right, I will give each pair a blindfold, and one of you will wear it, the other one will guide your partner around the chairs I have just placed around the room. This is a trust exercise, to dance well together and as a team, you must trust in each other."

Madame Anna walked around, and gave a blindfold to each partnership

"Ladies first, pop those blindfolds on, and lead them around the room".

Lanie, Beckett, Gates and Madame Anna all put on their blindfolds, and each of their partners started to instruct them which ways to go and turn.

Lanie and Castle, and Perlmutter and Madame Anna, as expected were all working well in their partnerships, and Lanie hadn't bumped into a single thing under Castles eloquent direction.

Ryan, being slightly nervous about being paired with Gates was reminded of his Catholic schooling days. He had called out the wrong thing to Gates a few times, and she was starting to get a tad bit irate. "Was it bad that Gates reminded Ryan of the nuns at his school?" Ryan had thought to himself.

Although those two were having slight troubles, it was nothing compared to Espo and Beckett. Espo had accidentally given her all sorts of misleading directions, and as Beckett had become more and more annoyed, she listened to Espo less and less...the two were a comedy of errors together.

Finally after another torturous hour of "trust exercises" Madame Anna announced it was time to dance. Everyone cleared the chairs away, and she taught them a waltz.

"The waltz is like floating across the floor, It shouldn't be too hard a concept to dance" Madame Anna told the class, as they found spaces around the room to try it to music.

As they partnered up and waited for the music to start Espo whispered to Beckett  
"Finally I can showcase my dancing talent off to Lanie".  
Instead of a polite response to her friend, all Beckett could do was laugh.

"Im sorry, dancing talent...you?" She laughed so hard, tears almost running down her face.

"What, you were supposed to be some expert at dancing?" Espo responded in a defensive manor.

"No, but at least I can dance, not like you, you're just a flying mess of arms and legs everywhere when you dance" Beckett retorted, still smiling at the thought of Espo dancing.

"Beckett? Can I just take a moment to remind you of your last public dancing escapade? Ryan's wedding...you got blind drunk, and danced intimately with every guy in the room...including Jenny's dad?" Espo reminded Beckett of the painfully memorable incident.

"Ahem" Madame Anna cleared her throat, and gave them a meaningful look. Esposito and Beckett looked down ins hame and waited for the music to start.

When the music started everyone waltzed around the room to their own skill ability, Both Espo and Beckett were shocking, but everyone tried to turn a blind eye to their terrible dancing. When the song finished Madame Anna smiled at them with pride

"Congratulations dancers-very well done, but can I please see you two do it again on your own?" She pointed Beckett and Espo towards the dance floor, and started the music.

Beckett and Espo took each others hands and started to move joltingly across the floor. They were out of time with the music, and Espo kept tripping over his own two feet. When the music came to a stop, Castle clapped with false enthusiasm, but was soon shut up by the glare he received from Lanie.

Madame Anna smiled at them both

"Good try...alright everyone take half an hour for a break, and then I will see you back here and we will try a tango!" Madame Anna then swiftly left the room.

"Well isn't this fun? Gates smiled round at the group of sweaty faces, but didnt get much of a response except an exuberant nod from Castle.

The group went over to the side of the room, where they had left their bags, and all pulled out their lunch. Beckett, who felt her spirits draining, decided that coffee was in order.

"Guys, I'm going to get coffee, anyone want to come?" Beckett asked the group

"Yup, sure, right there with you!" Espo leapt up.

The two grabbed their wallets and phones and called out that they would be back soon. When they exited the dance studio, they crossed the street to where there was a coffee cart, and placed their order.

"Sorry about before, you know, embarrassing you in front of Lanie" Beckett said sheepishly.

"Oh yeah, its cool, sorry about reminding everyone about Ryan's wedding" Beckett giggled.

The two stood in content silence, when Espo started manically laughing "we really suck at this don't we"

Beckett joined in on the laughter

"You know...we could go all rouge, and skip the twinkle toes lesson...unless you want of course to impress Lanie?"

"No no no, lets go, grab our coffee and go rouge... castle style? He really is rubbing off on you...What did you have in mind?" Espo said quickly.

"Remember when we both had just started on homicide, and we had just started to hang out, how we would go to the Good Will store and pick out outfits for each other, then go out in them ?" Beckett asked Espo with a glint in her eye.

"Yes! Lets do that" Espo agreed.

So they both grabbed their coffee, and hailed a taxi, without looking back once.

* * *

Meanwhile back at the dance studio, Madame Anna was ready to start the class again, and everyone was wondering where the mischievous two had gone.

Castle tried Beckett's phone, but to no avail, so he sent her a text.  
"Where are you guys? Madame Anna is getting pissed!"

He didn't get anything, back, so they all started to learn the Tango. Lanie and Castle, who had been an unstoppable dancing duo before the break, were both now a little worried about Espo and Beckett.

The tango was demanding in stamina and a very intimate dance, and Kevin was struggling to dance with the very critical Gates.

"Detective Ryan, you yet again stepped on me" she complained loudly

"Uh, so sorry sir, trying my best though".

The two really weren't that bad, and they were certainly miles ahead of what Beckett and Espo had been, they were just struggling with the awkwardness of dancing so intimately together.

* * *

Beckett and Espo hopped out of a taxi and payed the driver the fare, they then walked into the Good Will store.

"Ah, the wonderful smell of second hand clothes from the 80s" Beckett sighed

"Bro, I haven't been here since last time we came together...and we were 22!" Espo exclaimed.

"Well...rules, $20 each to pick out an outfit for each other?" Beckett asked

"Yup, theme? How about costume?" Espo said.

Beckett nodded and the two of them got to work finding each other a highly fashionable costume. Beckett walked over to a rack full of colourful waistcoats. She started to look through them, but a pair of metallic purple leggings caught her attention, if she could find some colourful undies and a top and mask he could be a super hero and Espo's costume would be complete.

Espo had started to look through the ball gowns on the other side of the store to Beckett. They were all boring black, until he came across a floor length gown, that looked like it belonged in Pride and Prejudice. He laughed, and set out looking for a bonnet to go with it...oh, how Beckett would hate him.

After half an hour, the two came together and gave each other their costumes to try on. When they came out of the change rooms simultaneously, they doubled over in laughter at each other.

Espo was wearing the horrible purple leggings, and a matching long sleeved top, as well as colourful undies on top of the leggings and a mask. To top it all off, she had found red leg warmers for him to wear on his arms. He looked ridiculous, but insisted on taking a photo of himself.

Beckett was wearing a long cream gown to her ankles that was covered in frilly lace. Espo had found lacy socks and child like Mary-Jane shoes, as well as a frilly bonnet and basket to add to the hilarity of it all. She laughed, and the two headed to the cashier to pay for their outfits.

On the way to the cashier, they both got sidetracked by looking at a horrible display of scarves.  
"Oh, Espo, this scarf would suit you so well!" Beckett called out loudly, holding up a fluffy pink number

"But this would suit you better" Espo called out equally loud as Beckett, in his hand he was holding up a yellow scarf that had blue and green cats all over it...it was truly hideous.

The two were laughing and having a good time. The other customers were giving them irritated looks, but Beckett and Espo were having to much fun to notice. When Beckett was pulling down a scarf that was actually nice to show to Espo she tripped over the long hem of her skirt and fell over, her normal clothes, which she had in her basket fell out and splayed everywhere, and her gun skidded across the floor to a snobby looking ladies feet.

"OH MY GOD" this lady screamed upon seeing the gun. Beckett and Espo ran over.

"Ma'am I am so sorry about that, I dropped my things and my gun fell out of its holder" Beckett apologised picking up the gun, but the lady was full on panicking shouting things about how Beckett and Espo were murderers who were conspiring to shoot everyone then steal all the money from the till.

"No, I'm sorry, we are both police officers, this is my police issue gun" beckett tried with the lady, but to no avail.

By this time all the shop patrons and workers had gathered around Beckett, Espo and the lady.

"If your an officer, we will need to see a badge or permit for a gun" the shop manager told the two.

Beckett rummaged around in the pockets of her normal clothes and realised that her badge and permit were still in her handbag, back at the dance studio...the only reason she had her gun was because she always wore it attached to the waistband of her pants.

"Uhhh, Espo...permit or badge?" She whispered to him quietly

"No, sorry Beckett, I left everything but my wallet in a bag back at that dance studio, sorry" Espo shrugged nervously.

"They're not cops!" Someone from the back of the store shouted

"Right, well sir, ma'am we are going to have to ask you to pay for the clothes you are wearing, and wait for the police arrive, and they can deal with this" the shop manager said calmly

"This is ridiculous, we are the police!" Espo exploded

* * *

Back at the dance studio the group had learnt the tango, and were now practicing to music. Madame Anna was very impressed, but the group was still curious as to the where about of Beckett and Espo. Madame Anna gave them all a five minute drink break and the group started to talk.

"Sir, um, I am a little worried about Beckett and Espo, shouldn't they have called if they decided not to come back" Castle cautiously broached the subject with Gates

"Mr Castle, those two are trained detectives, although I am mad at them for skipping out on this, you do not need to worry about them, they probably just went to get lunch out, and left their bags here as not to create suspicion, that they were going to go rogue" gates responded

Her reassurance made him let his worry go, and he turned to Lanie to talk about how well they had done their tango.

Bringgggggggggggggggg, Castles phone buzzed, and he looked at it in surprise

"I wonder who that is?"

"What, you don't have an app for that?" Perlmutter mused sarcastically

Castle glared at Perlmutter and answered his phone

"Castle?" He said into the phone, while the rest of the group looked on in curiosity.

"Yes...mmmm...oh...ok...right then, yup I will be there straight away...bye and thank you".

Castle hung up the phone and turned to the small group with a puzzled look on his face.

"Well, that was the guys down at the 2nd precinct...um well Beckett and Espo got arrested, and the guys don't believe that they are detectives, and they need someone to go down and get them out of holding, so I better go now" Castle addressed the group

"This is ridiculous! They skip team building, then they get themselves arrested, and they are both cops themselves!" Gates exploded "thats it, team building is over, I am going with Mr. castle down to the precinct, and the rest of you may go home".

"Do you mind if I come?" Lanie asked

"Certainly, any of you are more than welcome to tag along" Castle said openly.

So the group waved good bye to a confused looking Madame Anna, and Gates, Castle, Kevin and Lanie piled into a cab, while Perlmutter opted out of the adventure to head home.

* * *

On arrival at the 2nd precinct, Espo and Beckett had been read their rights and put into holding. They were now sitting in their costumes, in the same cell, handcuffed to opposite benches. Beckett had asked for the officers to call Castle, but she hoped that Castle hadn't mentioned the predicament to the others in the dance class, that would just be too embarrassing if Gates or Lanie or Ryan found out. Suddenly they heard a noise from the main office area, Castle's voice.

When the four arrived at the 2nd precinct, they had been ushered into a break room and offered coffee. After a little waiting, a very condescending officer walked into the room.

"Im officer Parson, now then...your little friends were arrested. I don't know how much you bunch know about what happens when the police arrest someone but-" the officer was suddenly interrupted by a livid Gates.

"Officer, allow me to introduce myself. I am Captain Gates, captain of the twelfth precinct. This is Detective Ryan, one of my best homicide detectives, this is Doctor Parish, the cities Medical examiner, and this is the novelist Mr Castle, our civilian consultant." Gates pointed to each one as she said their name.

"Right...well, are Ms. Beckett and Mr. Esposito colleagues or friends?" Officer parsons mumbled, very intimidated by the fact, that the entire group could get him fired if they pleased.

"detectives Esposito and Beckett, are another two of my finest homicide detectives. And I demand that they are released without charge" Gates demanded.

"Ah, well, um" officer Parsons looked very uncomfortable "the thing is, they were arrested for carrying a gun without a badge or license, so we set bail, and unless we receive that bail, they will have to stay here until a sentence is decided on. Also I am pretty sure that of the Mayor gets wind of this, there could be some pretty serious consequences for them".

"Fine, how much is the bail? I'll just pay it to get this over with" castle said taking out his chequebook.

"Shut the front door!" He exclaimed upon reading the bail document, but he signed and Gates, Lanie, Ryan and himself were led to holding, where Beckett and Espo were. Beckett was slumped over sleeping, and Espo was staring off into the distance grumpily.

"What the hell?" Gates said when she saw them in their goodwill store costumes.

Castle started laughing and took out his phone to start snapping pictures. Officer Parson took out his keys and unlocked the cell. By this time Beckett who was now awake and Espo were both mortified at the whole situation and had jumped up to leave, but had forgotten that they were handcuffed to the bench. Officer Parson went over and unlocked them, and they exited holding. Castle put his phone away, and reached out to Beckett, but stopped when Gates started talking harshly.

"I don't know what the hell you two thought you were doing? Skipping our team building workshop, then carrying your gun without a permit or badge Beckett? Then you both getting arrested...in costume? This is absolutely unacceptable, and I will not tolerate this rambunctious behaviour in my precinct, so as of now, you will both be on desk duty for 2 weeks".

The two groaned at the thought of all that paperwork, and the group headed out of the precinct.

* * *

That night Castle and Beckett were sitting at their kitchen bench while castle made pasta. Since getting home from the second precinct nothing much had been said, and things were awkward between the two.

"Castle I am really sorry that I didn't tell you where I was going" she broached the topic with him.

"Look, Kate, its ok. I understand why you did that, I just worry, are you just going to go off and go on crazy adventures without me, and completely neglect to tell me things? Forget to tell me where you are, and leave me worrying? Its ok, I was just really worried about you"

"Ok, thanks Babe. I love you" she said as she nestled into his chest.

"And you know what makes it better? The fact I have photos of you and Espo in holding and in costume" he giggled like a little girl, and the two shared a deep passionate kiss.

* * *

**Did you like it? I hope you did! Please review of you have time! Xx**


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